Oklahoma congressman wants to chair House oversight panel

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Congressman Steve Russell says he wants to chair the U.S. House committee that has been poised to investigate President Donald Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey.

Russell said in a news release Tuesday that he wants to lead the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee when current committee chairman and fellow Republican Jason Chaffetz of Utah steps down.

Chaffetz announced last week that he will resign from Congress in June.

Russell said in the news release that his focus has been government reform and that is “consistent with the mission of the” committee.

Russell is a member of the committee and is serving his second term as congressman from Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District.